The Early Word: What it’s like to live in the Pyramid; plus, Grizz get shooters
Good morning on this lovely Friday, friends. It’s June 28, and if you happen to be driving near Poplar Avenue and Kirby Parkway and see someone scaling the side of the Forum I office building, don’t worry. That’s just the annual “Over the Edge” fundraiser for Memphis Rox, and those brave souls will be firmly attached to a rappelling rope.
Down in Mississippi, the annual North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic will feature a star-studded line-up tonight and Saturday that includes Duwayne Burnside, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Jimbo Mathus and plenty more. “The 24-Hour Plays: Memphis” at TheatreWorks at Evergreen Saturday will feature six plays written over the course of 24 hours. And at Crosstown Concourse, the Queer Prom will give LGBTQ+ adults and allies a second chance at the high school dance.
On Sunday, there’s another musically inspired picnic. The Glam Rock Picnic at Off the Wall Arts is indoors and gives Memphians a chance to contribute to artist Mike McCarthy’s 10-foot-tall David Bowie sculpture, which will be installed in Overton Park. For more weekend fun, check out The To-Do List.
For 45 days, Jimmy Birkholz — and his two dogs — were living the dream. After Birkholz’s Downtown apartment burned down, he needed a place to stay, but the only hotel he could find that would allow his two dogs (one of whom is 115 pounds!) was the Big Cypress Lodge inside Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid. Birkholz was given $30,000 for “loss of occupancy,” so he did what anyone would do. He spent it on a fancy hotel, a daily breakfast buffet, a new wardrobe of Bass Pro shirts and all the fudge a man can eat. The Daily Memphian’s Geoff Calkins shares tales from Birkholz’ 45 days in the Pyramid.
The Memphis Grizzlies have two new shooters after Thursday’s second-round of the NBA Draft. Washington State forward Jaylen Wells was selected at pick No. 39. Then, the Grizzlies traded back up in the second round to pick at No. 53, selecting UConn’s Cam Spencer. Thursday’s draft moves followed Wednesday’s No. 9 pick of big man Zach Edey. And when I say big, I mean big — like 7-foot-4 big. Edey’s former head coach at the nationally renowned basketball camp, IMG Academy, recalls his first meeting with the “gargantuan” Edey and just how far the center has come since those days. And our own Chris Herrington tells us why he’s “extremely bullish” on Edey’s fit and impact on offense for the Grizzlies. In other draft news, former Memphis Tigers star David Jones signed a two-way deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Plus, an escaped inmate was struck by a car, three now-closed schools weren’t meeting requirements and we’ve got tips on cheese and wine.
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Bianca Phillips
Bianca Phillips is a Northeast Arkansas native and longtime Memphian with two decades of experience in local journalism and public relations. She’s a diehard morning person who spends her free time training for marathons and ultras. And she’s the author of “Cookin Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South.”
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